Anderson misses Forest tie

Elliot Anderson was absent for Nottingham Forest’s Europa League quarterfinal second leg against Porto on Thursday after the death of his mother, Helen. (nottinghamforest.co.uk) Nottingham Forest said before kickoff on April 16 that Anderson was “unavailable for tonight’s fixture” following his mother’s death. ESPN reported that the 23-year-old had also missed training on Tuesday because of what the club had described at the time as a personal issue. (nottinghamforest.co.uk) (espn.com) Forest played the return leg at the City Ground with the tie level after a 1-1 first leg, and won 1-0 through a Morgan Gibbs-White goal to advance 2-1 on aggregate. Union of European Football Associations match coverage said the result sent Forest into their first European semifinal since 1984. (uefa.com) The night quickly became about more than the scoreline. ESPN’s match report said Gibbs-White celebrated by displaying a shirt in memory of Anderson’s mother after scoring the only goal. (espn.com) Anderson has been a regular part of Forest’s season, and his absence removed one of Nuno Espírito Santo’s main midfield options for the biggest European match the club has played in decades. UEFA’s report framed the match as Forest’s chance to reach a first continental last four since the club’s 1984 run. (uefa.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The club kept its public statement brief, saying everyone at Nottingham Forest extended “deepest condolences” to Anderson and his family. No timetable was announced for his return. (nottinghamforest.co.uk) Forest will now face Aston Villa in an all-English Europa League semifinal, but Thursday’s match was marked as much by the team’s tribute as by the result. Anderson did not feature, and his teammates played through a night of personal loss. (reuters.com) (espn.com)